"You can't be a Goan and not eat Goan food." The Intersection of Gender, Food and Identity: A Case Study of Goan Women in the Greater Toronto Area

Abstract:

Food, perhaps because of its association with women's work, has often
been overlooked as a signifier of identity. This qualitative study examined the
role of Goan women in Toronto in creating and maintaining Goan identity
through food. Catholic Goan identity, borne from Portuguese colonization,
fosters a strong set of cultural values and is often seen as devoid of unique
symbols and markers other than its cuisine. Food plays a crucial role in Goan
identity. The thirteen first-generation Goan women interviewed maintained that
being Goan is inextricably linked to Goan food. They saw their role in foodwork
as having "currency" within the family and community, a role that fosters and
supports Goan identity. As a diasporic and racially marginalized group in
Canada, often grouped with other South Asians, these Goan women lived within
a "Goancentric" world that supported and celebrated their Goanness; Goan food
was central to that identity.